January 07, 2013

Obama Campaign Aide Returns to McKenna Long

Updated at 12:45 p.m.

President Barack Obama's re-election point person for the South
has returned to the lobbying shop at McKenna Long & Aldridge.

Tharon Johnson joined McKenna's national government affairs
practice as a managing director in its Washington and Atlanta offices after
leaving the firm to serve as the national Southern regional director for
Obama's 2012 presidential campaign. He was a senior strategic adviser and
independent consultant in the firm's national government affairs practice for
about a month before he was asked to join the Obama campaign.

Johnson said he had a "phenomenal experience" working on
the president's re-election and is "flattered" that McKenna welcomed
him back.

"McKenna was so gracious," he said.

Johnson said he will spend most of his time in Washington, helping
"any client that has an idea that they want to work with the government
on." But he declined to discuss specifics.

Before joining McKenna for the first time in August 2011, Johnson was a
partner at Atlanta lobbying firm Piedmont Public Affairs. He also served on the
staffs of representatives John Lewis (D-Ga.) and John Barrow (D-Ga.), as
well as Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed (D).

McKenna senior managing director Eric Tanenblatt, who leads the
firm's national government affairs practice, said in a written statement that
Johnson is "a tremendous asset" to the firm's public policy efforts.

“His knowledge and ability to navigate between the public and
private sectors will be extremely valuable to our clients and the firm,"
Tanenblatt said.